Sprout damage and gluten strength are perennial topics in Canadian wheat production, as well as at the Canadian International Grains Institute in downtown Winnipeg, where comprehensive testing can answer questions about quality.

“Here in the lab we do mainly quality testing on wheat, flour, semolina, as well as some pulse crops,” said Robyn Makowski, a technician in Cigi’s analytical services department. “There are many different types of testing that we do here.”

The Manitoba Co-operator visited Cigi to see first hand how the extensograph, the alveograph, the falling number test and gluten test actually work.